Acute Wound Care

What is an acute wound?

An acute wound is an injury that causes a break in the skin. A wound may be an abrasion (scrape), puncture (hole), laceration (tear), or incision (cut). This may happen on any part of the body. The wound may be deep and cause injury to muscles, blood vessels, nerves, bones, and other body parts. It may sometimes lead to severe loss of blood and tissues. A wound may also get infected when bacteria (germs) get into it.

What causes an acute wound?

• A laceration may be due to a hard blow to the body causing an irregular or jagged wound.
  
  
• An abrasion may be caused by rough surfaces which may rub and scrape the skin.
  
  
• An incision is caused by an object with a sharp edge, such as a knife or broken glass.
  
  
• A puncture wound is usually made by a sharp, round, and pointed object, such as a needle or nail.

What are the signs and symptoms of an acute wound?

The opening in your skin may look like a cut, tear, or gash. You may have bleeding, swelling, pain, or trouble moving the affected area. The wound may have dirt inside it. Sometimes, your skin may also get deformed when the tissues are removed. If the wound becomes infected, it may have pus in it. The pus may be milky, yellow, green, or brown. The area around the pus may be red, tender, or feel warm when touched. You may also develop a fever.

How is an acute wound diagnosed?

Your caregiver may check your health history, including diseases, medicines you are taking, and past surgeries. Knowing what vaccinations (shots) you have received, such as tetanus, is also important. He will also need to know when and how you were wounded. You may have any of the following:

• Physical exam: Caregivers will look closely at the injury, including the area around it. He will check to see how much skin was broken and how deep the wound is. He will also look for other problems or signs of infection. How well you move and feel things in your injured body part may be tested. These are usually needed if the wound is deep.
  
  
• Wound culture: This is a test to grow and identify the germs that may be in your wound. This helps caregivers learn what kind of infection you have and what medicine is best to treat it. This test may be needed if your wound is infected or contaminated (dirty).
  
  
• X-ray: This is a picture of your bones and tissues in the wound area. You may need to have an x-ray, especially if the wound is near a joint or bone. Caregivers use the pictures to look for broken bones, injuries, or foreign objects such as glass or metal.

How is an acute wound treated?

Treatment will depend on how severe the wound is, its location, and whether other areas are affected. It may also depend on the length of time you have had the injury. You may need any of the following:

• Wound care: Caregivers will first need to control the bleeding.
  
  
  • Cleaning: Soap and water is used to wash away germs and decrease the chance of infection. Flushing with sterile (clean) water further cleans the wound. This is done under high pressure, using a needle or catheter (tube) tip and large syringe. A solution that kills germs may also be used.
    
    
  • Debridement: This is done to clean and remove objects, dirt, or dead tissues from the open wound. Caregivers may also drain the wound to clean out pus.
    
    
  • Closing the wound: You may need stitches (thread), staples, skin adhesive, or other treatments to close the wound. This may be done if the wound is wide or deep. Stitches may be needed if the wound is in an area that moves a lot, such as the hands, feet, and joints. Stitches may help to keep the wound from getting infected. They may also decrease the amount of scarring you have. Some wounds may heal better without stitches.
  
  
• Medicines: Your caregiver may give you antibiotic medicine to fight infection. This medicine is usually needed if your wound has a high risk of infection. You may also be given medicine to ease symptoms, such as pain, swelling, and fever. Tetanus shots and immune globulins may also be given. Ask your caregiver for more information about these medicines.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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